The Food Industry Management Program at the USC Marshall School of Business will honor Lynn Gust, president of Fred Meyer’s Division, as the Food Industry Executive of the Year at its annual graduation banquet on the USC campus on April 30, 2014.

“Lynn Gust’s career growth at Fred Meyer—including his current role of President of the company’s 132 Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska stores—makes him the perfect example and mentor for this year’s FIM class,” said Robert Hermanns, director of Food Industry Programs at the USC Marshall School of Business.

USC presents the FIM Executive of the Year award annually to a food industry executive who has shown extraordinary leadership while producing exceptional business results. Gust joined Fred Meyer in 1970 as a parcel clerk at the Fourth Plain store in Vancouver, Washington. After assuming the role of executive vice president of corporate merchandising and advertising in 2006, he rose to serve as vice president of operations in 2011 and president in 2013.

Previously president and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Western Association of Food Chains, Gust is a board member of the Randall Children’s Hospital Foundation at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Oregon, and the Portland State University FILC Advisory Board. He served in the Army National Guard from 1971-1977. Gust, also co-chairman of the Umbrella for Life Foundation, received the 2013 Portland State University Roger S. Ahlbrandt Lifetime Achievement Award for Retail Leadership.

About the Food Industry Management Program
The Food Industry Management Program at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business marks its 56th anniversary in 2013. Each year, a maximum of 35 students are chosen from a wide range of companies in the food industry to participate in the elite 14-week program. Each student accepted into the program receives a full-tuition scholarship through the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC). Individuals selected must have proven records of management accomplishments with significant potential for future advancement.

About the USC Marshall School of BusinessConsistently ranked among the nation's premier schools, USC Marshall is internationally recognized for its emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation, social responsibility and path-breaking research. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, one of the world's leading business centers and the U.S. gateway to the Pacific Rim, Marshall offers its 5,700-plus undergraduate and graduate students a unique world view and impressive global experiential opportunities. With an alumni community spanning 123 countries, USC Marshall students join a worldwide community of thought leaders who are redefining the way business works.